Policy 4.A: Administration and Governance of Academic Units
4.A.1 Administration and Governance
The dean shall be the principal academic and administrative officer of a school or college, and the presiding officer for faculty meetings of the school or college.
Each dean shall be responsible for matters at the school or college level including, but not limited to, enforcement of admission requirements; the efficiency of departments and other divisions within the school or college; budgetary planning and allocation of funds; faculty assignments and workload; decisions or recommendations on personnel actions; curriculum planning; and academic advising accountability and reporting.
Article 5.A of the Laws of the Regents specifies the shared governance principles of participation of tenured and tenure-track faculty with appropriate participation of instructional, research, and clinical faculty. A school or college faculty shall collaborate with the dean in the shared governance of the school or college. Subject to any specific Board of Regents’ requirements, the voting and participation of a school or college faculty shall be determined by its tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Departments and programs within a school or college shall develop their working structures and rules, subject to the approval of the dean and provost and in accordance with policies established by the Board of Regents.
Each dean shall be responsible for matters at the school or college level including, but not limited to, enforcement of admission requirements; the efficiency of departments and other divisions within the school or college; budgetary planning and allocation of funds; faculty assignments and workload; decisions or recommendations on personnel actions; curriculum planning; and academic advising accountability and reporting.
Article 5.A of the Laws of the Regents specifies the shared governance principles of participation of tenured and tenure-track faculty with appropriate participation of instructional, research, and clinical faculty. A school or college faculty shall collaborate with the dean in the shared governance of the school or college. Subject to any specific Board of Regents’ requirements, the voting and participation of a school or college faculty shall be determined by its tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Departments and programs within a school or college shall develop their working structures and rules, subject to the approval of the dean and provost and in accordance with policies established by the Board of Regents.
History:
- Adopted: June 15, 2017, as Policy 4.A: Administration and Governance of Academic Units, but did not become effective until the related administrative policy statements (APSs) were implemented on January 1, 2018.
- NOTE: Policy 4.A and 4.B were the result of significant changes to both the structure and content of the previous versions of Article 4, Policy 4 and related policies.
- Revised: June 4, 2025.
- Last Reviewed: June 4, 2025.
Policy 4.B: Academic Planning and Accountability
4.B.1 Academic Program Review
Review of all degree programs shall be conducted at least once every seven years within an established timetable. As appropriate, professional accreditation processes may be used to meet some, or all, program review requirements. Professional accreditation processes may require adjustments to the seven-year time period. The Board of Regents shall receive an annual report on program review activities and, where appropriate, recommendations for board action.
4.B.2 Notification of Accreditation Status Change
The president and chancellors shall notify the Board of Regents of any change in the status of institutional accreditation or a change to the accreditation status of a degree program, department, or other unit that results in probation or loss of accreditation.
4.B.3 Proposals for Academic Units, Degree Programs, and Other Credentials
Each campus shall have processes for the development of proposals for new academic units, new degree programs, and other credentials that are consistent with the respective Administrative Policy Statement (APS) (1041: Approval of Academic Units; 1038: New Degree Program Approval; and 1040: Board of Regent Approval for Non-Degree Credentials).
Each campus shall have a process for name changes of academic units or degree programs. Name changes shall be approved by the chancellor and communicated to the Board of Regents through the vice president of academic affairs.
Each campus shall have a process for name changes of academic units or degree programs. Name changes shall be approved by the chancellor and communicated to the Board of Regents through the vice president of academic affairs.
4.B.4 Academic Unit and Degree Program Discontinuance
Upon recommendation by the chancellor, the Board of Regents may discontinue a regent-approved academic unit or degree program for educational, strategic realignment, resource allocation, or financial reasons, or a combination of these reasons.
The processes for academic unit and degree program discontinuance are specified in APS 1015: Implementing Academic Unit or Degree Program Discontinuance.
Each campus shall have processes for the discontinuance of academic units or degree programs that are consistent with those provided in APS 1015.
Upon a decision by the Board of Regents to discontinue a degree program, every reasonable effort will be made to allow students to complete their degrees. Termination of faculty appointments that occur as the result of formal discontinuance of an academic unit or degree program shall follow procedures detailed in Regent Policy 5.F: Termination of Faculty Appointments Following Program Discontinuance.
The processes for academic unit and degree program discontinuance are specified in APS 1015: Implementing Academic Unit or Degree Program Discontinuance.
Each campus shall have processes for the discontinuance of academic units or degree programs that are consistent with those provided in APS 1015.
Upon a decision by the Board of Regents to discontinue a degree program, every reasonable effort will be made to allow students to complete their degrees. Termination of faculty appointments that occur as the result of formal discontinuance of an academic unit or degree program shall follow procedures detailed in Regent Policy 5.F: Termination of Faculty Appointments Following Program Discontinuance.
4.B.5 Records of Degree Completions
The campus registrars shall maintain the official records of the candidates to whom degrees are awarded.
4.B.6 Degree Revocation
Upon recommendation of the faculty and the chancellor, the Board of Regents may revoke a degree if it is discovered that degree requirements were not satisfied due to academic misconduct or administrative error. Procedures for revoking a degree shall be consistent with the corresponding APS 1039: Degree Revocation.
History:
- Adopted: June 15, 2017, as Policy 4.B: Academic Planning and Accountability, but did not become effective until the related administrative policy statements (APSs) were implemented on January 1, 2018.
- NOTE: Policy 4.A and 4.B were the result of significant changes to both the structure and content of the previous versions of Article 4, Policy 4 and related policies.
- Revised: July 1, 2020, non-substantive changes made to section 4.B.4 to replace “terminate” with “discontinue” and updated old reference to Appendix 4.1 to Regent Policy 5.F after Appendix 4.1 was rescinded and policy statements previously stated in Appendix 4.1 were incorporated into Regent Policy 5.F; June 4, 2025.
- Last Reviewed: June 4, 2025.